On one hand, I can understand why people would have a problem with it. It's not of japanese origin, it has very little to do with anime at all, you'd be hard pressed to find examples of it.

But it's popular, and it does extend the medium of costuming. But Fashion is fashion. And while you may have a grude about it, consider this, if steam punk is in now, then perhaps cyberpunk/goth will be in next year, and things will become more open until everything is allowed. Whether you're for or against the sanctity of cosplay, that is the way things work now a days.

Furthermore, whether it fits or not, people will still do it. I see cybergoth at anime cons, cosplay at comic cons, comic costumes at regular concerts, you see everything everywhere if you pay enough attention. It's because, at the end of the day, you're supposed to be doing it for the fun, not to redefine the rules. Redefining the rules comes along when people see its fun in follow in your footsteps.

I don't care. Anything can become steampunk, therefore it fits. Anime cons are now just more like general cons than anything to me. When I can see a Superman, a Sailor Moon, a Sherlock Holmes, and musicians all at one con, then it's a good day. As for Asian steampunk, I can't find the picture but there was a group of Asian people cosplaying steampunk miners/laborers. They were really cool and really authentic.

The decision to keep out cybergoth but let in steampunk was probably a bit unfair, but maybe for the next time you (or they, whoever is running the panel) can give them a list of reasons why their panel should be accepted; not dissing other topics for panels, but just why that one should be given the green light

I kind of don't like the assumption that "anime conventions" should only allow anime-related cosplay and events. It seems snobby to me, and I don't think snobby is what we're going for. If anime conventions were only for anime, we'd have to do away with Star Wars, Firefly, Doctor Who, Star Trek, steampunk, comic book, video games, and classic fantasy cosplayers as well, and that would make most cons I've been to look pretty dismal. ETA: Not to mention Lolita and J-pop/J-rock cosplays as well, which aren't strictly anime themselves.

There are a lot of different fandoms and interests that crossover readily among certain groups of people. Although I don't particularly like the direction steampunk is going, I can certainly appreciate the costumes people put time and money into to wear at my anime convention. Also, steampunk fans don't really have a place to go to embrace their fanliness right now. Once there are more steampunk balls and conventions, I'll expect to see a little less steampunk happening at anime conventions.

But as far as I'm concerned, the more the merrier at anime conventions. I'm happy its become such a great melting pot of different interests, opinions, attitudes, and costuming styles. It's growing more and more every year.

In terms of the panel passing steampunk but not cybergoth... Makes no sense to me. cybergoth is bigger in Japan than steampunk (correct me if I'm wrong... I'm quite sure), therefore I'd say it belonged more. :/

In terms of just people wearing steampunk stuff around... I don't see why there's any problem with it. A wise cosplayer (whose username I have forgotten XD) once said: "When you start funding my costuming endeavors, then you can tell me what to wear."

I deal with Steampunks looking down on me quite often, as thought cyber is beneath them. Of course they don't know that I'm also a neovictorian-sporting fashion person. I was called, quite a few times, nasty names.

And it's not just Steampunks giving crap, but it's turning into turf wars. x doens't belong at anime cons so we're going to treat them badly, but y is better than x and feels more entitled...

It's a festering breeding ground for drama. And while I try not to let it take away from my overall con experience, I feel like fewer and fewer of these incoming fans are really there for the con.

I kind of don't like the assumption that "anime conventions" should only allow anime-related cosplay and events. It seems snobby to me, and I don't think snobby is what we're going for. If anime conventions were only for anime, we'd have to do away with Star Wars, Firefly, Doctor Who, Star Trek, steampunk, comic book, video games, and classic fantasy cosplayers as well, and that would make most cons I've been to look pretty dismal. ETA: Not to mention Lolita and J-pop/J-rock cosplays as well, which aren't strictly anime themselves.

There are a lot of different fandoms and interests that crossover readily among certain groups of people. Although I don't particularly like the direction steampunk is going, I can certainly appreciate the costumes people put time and money into to wear at my anime convention. Also, steampunk fans don't really have a place to go to embrace their fanliness right now. Once there are more steampunk balls and conventions, I'll expect to see a little less steampunk happening at anime conventions.

But as far as I'm concerned, the more the merrier at anime conventions. I'm happy its become such a great melting pot of different interests, opinions, attitudes, and costuming styles. It's growing more and more every year.

Agreed. Anime conventions are really Japanese conventions. It's not limited to one topic, but to everything Japan. Steampunk does have a following in Japan, but I don't know about the popularity. It feels like it is more involved in the U.S., but that could just be my perception since I haven't researched the topic to back up this claim. I'm not against having steampunk at anime conventions. Only when con's exclude other Japanese popular culture topics does it make me question that con's integrity.

I only go to one or two anime cons a year, and the experience always reminds me why I like sci-fi cons much more. Anyway, I can totally understand why one might be peeved about official anime convention programming centered around steampunk, but I hardly think it's worth throwing a fit over. As for the cosplayers themselves? Why give a damn? If we openly accept Ronald McDonald, Barack Obama, Stromtroopers, and Superman at anime cons, then it shouldn't matter if some people decide they'd rather show off their steampunk costume.

And if you're (general you) the type to get in a tizzy over Ronald McDonald, Obama, Stormtroopers, or Superman please do the rest of us a favor and lighten up.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vexation

But is this a good thing?

Yes. We will always need more Victorian inspired people so I won't turn into a lonely emo kid and go cry in the corner. It might water spot my silk taffeta.

I love the sort of multi nature of anime cons. The fact is, if anime cons were just about anime, I probably wouldn't go. It would bore me to death. I'm not actually much of an anime fan, but I like manga and games, and I enjoy seeing other aspects of Japanese life, as well as being a huge fan of costuming. When I think about my favourite panels and memories and such, not many of them have really been anime related. This year, I'm actually cosplaying my first ever completely non-Japanese character. However, I feel good about doing it because the film I'm cosplaying from has a reasonable following amongst anime fans, I love the character and I don't go to any other non-anime conventions to wear it. There are characters from other American comics I'd like to cosplay one day, but I'll probably wait until I go to a more general comic convention for that, as the characters I'd like to do are pretty much completely unknown amongst anime fans.

The thing about turf wars, I think if people are gonna put you down because you belong to a certain group, then these people are going to put you down whatever. They will find a reason, and what you're wearing just happens to be the most obvious thing because you stand out.

I see anime as the thing that links all the fans together, but we're all different people with diverse interests. However, having a taste for anime also gives us the taste to enjoy many other things the same too. Why shouldn't we celebrate that too?

steampunk at an anime con is to cosplaying american cartoons at an anime con (If that makes any sense)

As long as the person can talk anime or at least like Japan then I don't care what they wear. Anime encompasses a lot of different styles so nothing should really be discriminated against. Not to mention everyone is in costume so it's hard to tell the difference.

Saying that Steampunk shouldn't be at "anime conventions" because its not "azn" enough is probably the most short-sighted thing i've read all week, and on Coscom that takes some beating. I'd say at least half of "anime convention" cosplay these days derive from video games or comic books. Thats not very "anime" so where is the censure for these cosplayers? It seems there are a lot of Kingdom Hearts fans here, I don't think what ever sexually androgenous, racially ambiguous, agent provocotours from what ever Square Enix have released this week, serve as a good illustration of something steriotypically Japanese.

This idea that anime by definition makes the con Japanese orientated is like saying that all Sci Fi events are British based, as works by the likes of Jules Verne and H.G Wells pioneered the genre in the early 1900's. Yet I don't recall seeing Union Jacks everywhere whenever I attend one. Or tweed jacketed, pipe smoking, monocle wearing gentlemen, bemoaning the attendance of Naruto and Bleach cosplayers at 'thier' event.

Edit: Also the idea of "turf wars" is just nonsense. There are no turf wars, its just another form of percieved drama that doesn't exist based on ignorance and paranoia. Steampunks aren't looking to take over. Thats like saying lolitas or BJD fan are going to try and claim dominance at events.

It would be nice if people could find ways to work their steampunk fetishes into animation/comics ~ but it shouldn't be a requirement.

Hayao Miyazaki and Renge Murata are both hard up for steampunk. They'd both probably get a kick out of it.

I find original steampunk costumes no more disconnected from the topic at hand than original maids, catgirls and assorted misinterpreted Japanese stereotype costumes ^^; Anime and manga do not = Japan. To assume they do is kind of naeive. And honestly, quite a lot of steampunk costuming is more visually interesting and in the spirit of the sort of imagination we expect from the medium of animation than Death Note closet cosplay.

I don't really see the connection between Jpop and anime either... but everyone's crazy about those washed-up-Visual-Kei-band concerts

You don't have to get it for other people to enjoy it.

And really... is MORE available programming and variety ever an issue to complain about?